It’s easy to forget that there’s a science fiction element to The Last of Us. After the first couple of episodes, which deal with the spread of a fungal infection that turns humans into monsters, the story becomes more about love than anything else. Joel Miller is more or less done with the world, having lost so much at the start of the outbreak. However, he finds new purpose in Ellie, a young girl with a smart mouth that might be the key to saving everyone and everything. The thought of losing her drives him to do some bad things, including killing more than a few people who appear to have good intentions.
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What makes The Last of Us‘ story so unique is that it’s less about fixing the world and more about learning to accept the new reality. Joel wants to find peace by any means necessary, and sometimes, that means making difficult choices. Well, the best sci-fi show of 2025 is taking a page out of HBO’s book, exploring many of the same themes as the video game adaptation. But it’s not copying the homework to the letter, choosing to flip one significant aspect of The Last of Us‘ story.
The Last of Us Has Some Real Competition
While The Last of Us‘ first season is a triumph, its sophomore outing struggles in more ways than one. The biggest issue with the season is that it deviates too much from the source material. Season 1 does the same thing, but there’s less content to pull from, as the first game only runs for about ten hours. The Last of Us Part II is twice as long, yet the powers that be think they have time to mess around and still hit the mark. They end up missing, and it’s in part because everyone seems to forget where they came from.
Apple TV’s latest sci-fi release, Pluribus, gives off that early The Last of Us Season 1 feel right out the gate. After scientists detect a signal in space, they realize it’s a viral sequence. The only logical thing to do, then, is to recreate it in a lab and figure out its nature. Naturally, the whole thing gets out of hand, and before too long, nearly all of humanity is under the control of the virus. Carol Sturka, a popular author, watches the whole thing unfold, only to realize she’s immune to the virus’ effects. But she doesn’t get to safety before having her Joel moment.
Pluribus Recreates One of The Last of Us‘ Most Iconic Sequences – With a Twist
After returning home from a book tour in Pluribus Episode 1, Carol and her manager, Helen L. Umstead, go out for celebratory drinks. They debate about which book Carol should release next before witnessing a man crash his truck nearby. As Carol goes to investigate, Helen collapses and begins to have a seizure. Carol does everything she can to get Helen help, but the city is in chaos, with everyone under some trance. The best Carol can do is hop in a truck and head toward home.
Driving through the streets of Albaqurque on this fateful night allows Carol to witness strange events, such as people from all walks of life gathering and speaking in unison. They’re not a threat to hear, or at least they claim not to be, but she’s still on edge, just like Joel is at the beginning of The Last of Us when he drives through Texas in his truck and sees things his eyes can’t believe.
The similarities between Pluribus and The Last of Us may end there, as it’s clear Apple TV’s show will spend time exploring the mystery of it all. However, it’s nice to know that the sci-fi genre can still pack a punch and show love to a property that remains the gold standard, despite its recent missteps.
Pluribus is streaming on Apple TV.
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Image courtesy of Paramount+
